we're not talking about election day. we're talking about that first debate and in terms of that first debate -- it was completely the opposite of the way it was on election day. watch. >> good evening, i'm tom brokaw with nbc "nightly news." a lot of people in most of the instant polls believe walter mondale won an important battle against president reagan last night. >> in this corner at a feisty 170 pounds, the new heavyweight debater of the world -- >> at a tumultuous rally mondale claimed the debate breathed new life into his campaign. >> today we have a brand new race. today everything is different. >> reporter: while not claiming a flood of overnight conversions, mondale's aides argue millions of voters finally are listening to mondale and rethinking their support for reagan. >> the seemingly unstoppable reagan bandwagon hit a bad rut last night and the president seemed to know it. asked who won the debate as he left kentucky, all he said was, i'm smiling. at a north carolina rally, mr. reagan brought up the debate